Why English is a Great Fit for Pre-Law Students
English offers the benefits of advanced reading comprehension and persuasive writing, two crucial skills for attending law school and taking the LSAT. As an English major, you study dense and complex literature, process complicated information quickly and precisely, make connections, and create arguments -- a unique skill set required by law students.
The American Bar Association lists seven “Core Skill and Values” that students should acquire in preparation for the law. All of these skills and attributes are taught in the English Major:
1. Analytic/Problem Solving Skills
2. Critical Reading
3. Writing Skills
4. Oral Communication/Listening Abilities
5. General Research Skills
6. Task Organization/Management Skills
7. Public Service and Promotion of Justice
For more, see: English Degree + Law School = Winning Combination The Best Majors for Law School
Ella D.
Miata E.
Michele M.
Ella Dunbar, UK English Major (JD 2015): "The close reading skills I developed as an English major helped both with questions on the LSAT and in identifying fact patterns in law school."
Miata Eggerly, UK English Major (JD 2018): "You’re building writing and analytical skills when you work with a piece of literature. Those skills are transferred when you’re dealing with the logic and reasoning part of the law school admission test and you’re asked to find the strength in the argument. Remembering and sharing pertinent information, analytics, figuring out what’s being asked in a logic game – I honed those skills as an English major."
Michele Mirman, founder and senior partner at Mirman, Markovits and Landau, PC: "In truth, any undergraduate degree can help to prepare a student who aspires to be an attorney. I found that my English degree has been exceptionally helpful throughout my legal career. Why? The law is an art. In order to master that art, it helps to have a firm grasp on the English language and an expansive vocabulary. It’s important to know how to bend and manipulate language to my benefit. As an English major, I dedicated a lot of time to reading, analyzing, and writing. I learned to step back, assess a story I was told, and think outside the box. In reality, I was honing skills that are critical for any practicing attorney."
Informational Resources for Pre-Law Students
The American Bar Association
The ABA explains the skills required to excel in law school and beyond, includes lists of ABA-accredited Law Schools, answers questions about financing law school, and advises on the types of knowledge important for a legal education.
The Law School Admissions Council or LSAC
The LSAC administers the LSAT and provides information on how to apply to law schools.
You can see what schools are a best fit for you based on GPA and your LSAT score.
This not-for-profit organization also offer forums throughout the year for prospective students to talk with ABA-approved law schools.
They include a list of helpful resources for racially and ethnically diverse applicants .
Other information websites
AccessLex "informs students of the economic realities of law school without limiting their aspirations."
Law School Transparency is devoted to helping students find the law school that is the best fit for them.
Podcasts , Blogs, and Books for Pre-Law Students
Barbri recommends five podcasts for prospective law students:
ABA Law Student Podcast
Above the Law: Thinking Like A Lawyer
I Am The Law (IATL)
The Legal Toolkit
@thebar by the Chicago Bar Association
UK Law's Career Resource Books for Law Students
Harvard Law's reading recommendations
Enjuris recommends the following books for pre-law students:
The Paper Chase by John Jay Osborn
QB VII by Leon Uris
Anatomy of a Murder by Robert Traver
Law School Confidential by Robert H. Miller
America’s Constitution: A Biography by Akhil Reed Amar
Making Your Case: The Art of Persuading Judges by Antonin Scalia and Bryan Garner
One L by Scott Turow
The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court by Jeffery Toobin
Letters to a Young Lawyer by Alan Dershowitz
24 Hours with 24 Lawyers by Jasper Kim
Lawschooli's reading recs
Clubs
Getting Involved
"All extracurricular activities are important because they show a commitment to community or discipline beyond yourself." Membership in clubs like Phi Alpha Delta, Mock Trial, or Moot Court develop legal skills and knowledge. Political activism, civic engagement, community service, or research with a professor in a law-related field are extracurricular activities that also demonstrate interest in the law. If your interests lie elsewhere, not to worry. Law school and legal practice require discipline, time management, and dedication to long-term goals -- one way to demonstrate these qualities is through personal practices, even if they seem wholly unrelated to law. "Admissions officers often mention reading fascinating personal statements from skiers, martial artists ,and performing artists who make the case that their pursuit of excellence at a difficult practice shaped their character in ways that prepared them for law school." ("How Extracurricular Activities Affect Law School Admissions," U.S. News and World Report , 2020).
Clubs on University of Kentucky’s Campus
Phi Alpha Delta
Contact Information
Description
"UK's pre-law chapter of Phi Alpha Delta (PAD), a part of the world's largest law fraternity, unites academically talented students who demonstrate a strong interest in pursuing a legal career and increases their awareness of the law profession and the process of being admitted to law school. Programs include lecture by practicing attorneys and current law students, social activities, Law Day and, most importantly, practice LSATs."
Mock Trial Team
Contact Information
Description
"UKMock Trial is a competitive team that combines speech, debate, and theater to compete in trial simulations. The program was founded to help students develop communication skills, enhance analytical thinking, and advocate justice. UK Mock Trial recently competed in the 2017 National Championship in Los Angeles, CA. Each year, The American Mock Trial Association (AMTA) publishes a criminal or civil case. The 600+ mock trial teams in the nation then prepare the prosecution/plaintiff and defense sides of this case in order to compete in trial simulations. The team travels to different states to attend competitions and present our case."
Collegiate Moot Court Team
Contact Information
Description
"The UK Collegiate Moot Court Team gives undergraduate students the opportunity to gain practical skills and knowledge in oral and written advocacy, constitutional law, and the practice of law before the Supreme Court. Through annual competition in the American Moot Court Association's regional and national competitions, students have the opportunity to practice brief writing and oral argument on a simulated appellate court case."
Leading Women of Tomorrow
Contact Information
Description
"Leading Women of Tomorrow is a national organization working to equip young women with the skills, networks, and confidence to succeed in public policy fields, empowering them to become the change-makers of their generation. Our mission is to bridge the gender gap among public representatives, and we believe that the key to addressing the underrepresentation of women in government is to cultivate interest in the next generation. LWT conducts speaker series, skills workshops, networking events, and social gatherings. We have 19 US chapters and 2 international chapters at universities, we are entirely student-led, we are bipartisan, and we were recognized at the 2017 United Nations Youth Assembly."
College Democrats at the University of Kentucky
Contact Information
Description
"We are the University of Kentucky's College Democrats. We support Democrats at all levels of government. We meet every Tuesdays at 6:30 PM in Whitehall Room 234 to discuss politics and actions on campus and in the community. Contact us at our email to join our GroupMe. Follow us on Twitter @ukydems."
University of Kentucky Young Democratic Socialists
Contact Information
Description
We are the UK chapter of the Young Democratic Socialists of America, and we aim to promote democratic socialism on campus through direct community engagement and empowerment. Our mission is to educate, organize, and mobilize students and working-class people in Lexington. We intend to play a principled, intentional role in the national movement for social justice and the freedom of all people. We will articulate and defend the idea that true human liberation is impossible under capitalism. We stand against exploitation and oppression. We must seek real change that extends democracy into all aspects of life (social, political and economic). Our vision of socialism is profoundly democratic and intersectional. This is a popular, student-led movement. In order to create meaningful community power, we need community involvement... That means you!
UK College Republicans
Contact Information
Jacob Patterson (Chair). You can send him a message on the UK College Republicans BBNvolved page
Description
"We are a team that truly believes the youth in our state can join together under conservative beliefs to unite our party. The candidates may come and go, but the experience you will get from being involved in this organization will remain for a lifetime. We promote grassroots involvement and can serve as a liaison for internships and campaign involvement."
Young Americans for Liberty
Contact Information
Description
"Young America’s Foundation is committed to ensuring that increasing numbers of young Americans understand and are inspired by the ideas of individual freedom, a strong national defense, free enterprise, and traditional values."
Turning Point USA at the University of Kentucky
Contact Information
Description
"The organization’s mission is to identify, educate, train, and organize students to promote the principles of freedom, free markets, and limited government. Turning Point USA believes that every young person can be enlightened to true free market values."
Amnesty International
Contact Information
Description
"Amnesty International is a global grassroots organization dedicated to fighting injustice and promoting human rights. We at AIUK are committed to mobilizing our campur in support of the ongoing struggle for justice, freedom, truth, safety, and dignity for all human beings."
College Libertarians
Contact Information
Message them on BBNvolved page
Description
"To seek a world of liberty; a world in which all individuals are sovereign over their own lives and no one is forced to sacrifice his or her values for the benefit of others.To promote respect for individual rights as the essential precondition for a free and prosperous world. To defend each person’s right to engage in any activity that is peaceful and honest, and welcome the diversity that freedom brings. The world we seek to build is one where individuals are free to follow their own dreams in their own ways, without interference from government or any authoritarian power. To promote the campaigns of Libertarian candidates for political office."
Internships & Other Experience
Internship Overview
"Internships are a proven way to gain relevant knowledge, skills, and experience while establishing important connections in the field." For more information, see "Importance of Internships" (thebalancecareers.com)
You can complete a legal internship during the semester or summer for English elective credit, if you choose. To learn more about earning elective credit, see English Internship Program .
Internship Opportunities
Advocacy
Law Firms
Politics/Government
Service-Learning and Civic Engagement
What is Service-Learning?
"Service learning is defined as an integrative experience through which learners engage in thoughtfully organized actions in response to community identified assets and needs. Experiences are designed to reciprocal exchanges of knowledge and resources accomplished through service and reflection. Students learn more deeply from Service-Learning experiences as they apply theoretical concepts to real world experiences." (UK Service Learning and Civic Engagemen t)
Some examples could be tutoring other students and adults, conducting art/music/dance lessons for youth, giving presentations on drug and violence prevention, helping in a homeless shelter. Collect books to donate to low income schools or tutor younger students to read. Partner with a local community organization that supports literacy in youth. Work with nonprofits to write letters to businesses to ask for donations of goods and services. Read books to or write books with children in school. Try to set up a pen-pal program with students and veterans to promote understanding of history as well as improve writing abilities. Help with voter registration as a means to collect data and then write a paper about what you learned.
To find a Service-Learning Course at UK, consult the catalog of classes .
What is Civic Engagement?
"UK defines civic engagment as working to make a difference in the civic life of our communities and developing the combination of knowledge, skills, values, and motivation to make that difference." It means promoting the quality of life in a community through both political and non-political processes. Civic engagement includes both paid and unpaid forms of political activism, environmentalism, and community and national service.
Benefits of Service Learning and Civic Engagement
Students learn how to think critically about deep-seated issues in their communities and learn important lessons about civic responsibility as they participate in socially responsible activities impacting communities. Students gain an increased appreciation of diverse cultures and communities outside of their own social networks and develop improved problem-solving skills as they work with community partners to solve real world problems.Volunteering, national service, and service-learning are all forms of civic engagement.
To find a Community-Based Learning Course at UK, consult the catalog of classes .
Other Experience
Law-related work experience can demonstrate your commitment to a legal career. And even if your work experience isn’t directly related to law, you might have performed a function relevant to the legal field, or maybe you developed skills and talents that transfer well to the field of law. Admissions counselors agree that working before law school allows students to cultivate a better sense of their interests and bring a more experienced perspective to the classroom.
Law Office Runner
A law office runner delivers messages and legal documents for a law firm. In addition to your courier responsibilities, you may also perform typical office clerk tasks such as making copies, organizing files, and organizing and distributing mail in the office. You can pick up and deliver documents to a courthouse, law firm, or client on foot or using a personal vehicle. Many law office runners also do other errands.
Political Campaign
Getting involved in an election campaign is a great way to gain exposure to politics and the legal field.
Peer Tutoring at UK
Transformative Learning employs UK students who have proven to be academically successful in the classes offered for tutoring in The Study. In order to be considered, a potential employee has to have earned an “A” or “B” in the class or classes they want to tutor, and the class has to have been taken here at the University of Kentucky. Successful applicants must also have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher.
Writing Instruction
Other
Law Fields
Animal Law
Description : The combination of statutory and case law that relates to or has an impact on nonhuman animals.
Average Salary: $120,910
Career Outlook: 4% growth between 2019 and 2029
Bankruptcy Law
Description : The focus of bankruptcy law is to assist clients through court proceedings to reduce or eliminate debt or to proceed forward with bankruptcy. Attorneys may represent individual or corporate debtors, individual or corporate creditors, creditor’s committees, or bankruptcy trustees.
Average Salary: $98,329
Career Outlook: 8% growth between 2016 and 2026
How to become one: Must receive your J.D. and pass the bar exam. While in law school, take courses related to bankruptcy.
More Information: Bankruptcy cases almost exclusively fall under federal law, though states many pass laws governing issues that federal law doesn’t address. Special bankruptcy courts nationwide handle only debtor-creditor cases. Generally, any bankruptcy-related claim must be filed with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court.
Bankruptcy Law Firms in Lexington: Atkinson Simms & Kermode, DelCotto Law Group PLLC, Brackney Law Office, PLLC
Civil Rights Law
Description : Perform research for cases, draft legal documents, argue cases in court and negotiate settlements. Attorneys also keep up with laws and regulations in their local area pertaining to civil rights that may change over time.
Average Salary: $119,250
Career Outlook: 8% growth between 2016 and 2026
How to become one: Must receive your J.D. and pass the bar exam. While in law school, take courses related to civil rights.
Civil Rights Law Firms in Lexington: Cooley Luliano Robey, PLLC, Landrum & Shouse LLP, Lockaby PLLC
Criminal Law
Description : A system of laws concerned with prosecution of individuals who commit crimes.
Average Salary: $76,374
Career Outlook: 9% growth between 2020 and 2030
How to become one: Must receive your J.D. and pass the bar exam. While in law school, take courses related to criminal law.
Criminal Law Firms in Lexington: Boyd Law Office, PSC, Baldani Law Group, Dan Carman, Attorney at Law
Corporate Law
Description : Corporate law advises corporations concerning their legal rights, obligations, and privileges. Attornesy act as agents of the corporation in various business transactions and seek to help clients avoid expensive litigation.
Average Salary: $110,714
Career Outlook: 9% growth between 2020 and 2030
How to become one: Must receive your J.D. and pass the bar exam. While in law school, take courses related to corporate law.
More Information: Corporate law is civil law. It is not generally criminal law. When there are disputes, the corporation’s officials can go to the appropriate civil court in order to resolve the dispute. Of course, officers and employees can still face criminal liability for fraud and other criminal acts.
Corporate Law Firms in Lexington: John D Meyers Jr - Business & Probate Estate Lawyer, Clark Law Office, Inc., Landrum & Shouse LLP
Education Law
Description : Involves a diverse range of issues from representing children with poor access to education to special education law to education reform.
Average Salary: $114,516
Election Law
Description: Election law is a discipline falling at the juncture of constitutional law and political science, focusing on who votes, when that person can vote, and the construction behind the tabulated totals. Election lawyers research "the politics of law and the law of politics."
Average Salary: $108,747
Employment Law
Description : Employment lawyers play a key role in assisting both employees and employers. There are federal, state and local employment laws in place to assure fair treatment for employees. Due to the existence of these numerous employment laws, employment lawyers typically specialize in only a few areas.
Average Salary: $112,363
Career Outlook: 9% growth between 2020 and 2030
How to become one: Must receive your J.D. and pass the bar exam. While in law school, take courses related to employment law.
Employment Law Firms in Lexington: Lockaby PLLC, Sturgill, Turner, Barker & Moloney, PLLC Landrum & Shouse LLP
Entertainment Law
Description : Entertainment lawyers help their clients understand legal agreements, ensuring that terms are in their clients' best interest.
Average Salary: $91,798
Career Outlook: 8% growth between 2016 and 2026
How to become one: Must receive your J.D. and pass the bar exam. While in law school, take courses related to enterainment law.
Entertainment Law Firms in Lexington: Richard David Lom, Attorney at Law, Montague Law PLLC, Wolfe & Houlehan PLLC
Environmental Law
Description : Involves legal standards that protect and improve the natural environment. Specifically, environmental law is designed to reduce the negative impact of human activities both on people and on nature.
Average Salary: $120,910
Career Outlook: 6% growth between 2018 and 2028
How to become one: Must receive your J.D. and pass the bar exam. While in law school, take courses related to environmental law.
Environment Law Firms in Lexington: Clark Law Office, Inc. Early III w Blaine
Family Law
Description : Legal practice area that focuses on issues involving family relationships, such as adoption, divorce, and child custody, among others.
Average Salary: $76,140
Career Outlook: 9% growth between 2020 and 2030
How to become one: Must receive your J.D. and pass the bar exam. While in law school, take courses related to family law.
Family Law Firms in Lexington: Cooley Luliano Robey, PLLC Clark Law Office, Inc. Jenny Scott & Associates, PLLC
Healthcare Law
Description : Deals with laws and regulations that relate to the healthcare field. The legal practice of a health care attorney is interdisciplinary and focuses on the various entities that comprise the world of healthcare, such as hospitals, doctors, long-term care facilities, medical device manufacturers, pharmaceutical manufacturers, and medical transportation companies.
Average Salary: $147,812
Career Outlook: 4% growth between 2019 and 2029
How to become one: Must receive your J.D. and pass the bar exam. While in law school, take courses related to healthcare law.
Healthcare Law Firms in Kentucky: Mark R. Brengelman Attorney at Law PLLC, VanAntwerp Attorneys, LLP
Immigration Law
Description : Immigration law interprets and provides advice on migration, citizenship and business immigration issues, political asylum, and on the processes through which people may secure travel, work, or student visas. Immigration attorneys also represent clients in immigration proceedings in the U.S. Immigration Courts.
Average Salary: $85,544
Career Outlook: 6% growth between 2018 and 2028
How to become one: Must receive your J.D. and pass the bar exam. While in law school, take courses related to immigration law.
Immigration Law Firms in Lexington: Carman Fullerton, PLLC, Ahmad Law Office, PLLC, Church Law PLLC
Intellectual Property Law
Description : Intellectual property lawyers counsel their clients on establishing and protecting intellectual capital. Most IP law practices handle matters such as patents, copyright, trademark law, licensing, franchising, distribution, technology transfers, and trade secret projects.
Average Salary: $117,360
Career Outlook: 8% growth between 2016 and 2026
How to become one: Must receive your J.D. and pass the bar exam. While in law school, take courses related to intellectual property law.
Intellectual Property Law Firms in Lexington: James M. Francis - Attorney at Law, King & Schickli, PLLC
International Law
Description : Body of law that focuses on international disputes. These types of disputes may include international business, trade, or criminal issues.
Average Salary: $79, 224
Career Outlook: 6% growth between 2018 and 2028
How to become one: Must receive your J.D. and pass the bar exam. While in law school, take courses related to international law.
Intellectual Property Law Firms in Lexington: King & Schickli, PLLC, James M. Francis - Attorney at Law
Maritime Law
Description : A body of law that governs nautical issues and private maritime disputes. Maritime law usually follows independent jurisdiction from national laws. [Admiralty law consists of both domestic law on maritime activities and private international law governing the relationships between private parties operating or using ocean-going ships.]
Average Salary: $118,596
Career Outlook: 6% growth between 2018 and 2028
How to become one: You must get your J.D. and pass the bar exam. While in law school, study maritime law, take speciality courses in addition to the basic foundation ones required. Admiralty Law, Marine Insurance, Injured Employee Compensation, Marine Pollution and International Law are just some of the courses you might take when studying this highly individualized field of law.
Military Law
Description : Military lawyers represent clientele under jurisdiction of military courts and law. The military attorney works exclusively with military personnel and may represent them in civil and criminal cases. Military lawyers may work within any branch of the Navy, Army, Marines, or Air force even though each branch has their own Judge Advocate Generals (JAGS).
Average Salary: $72,225
Career Outlook:
How to become one: Military attorneys will need to know general law as well as military law. They can either become a JAG after entering the military, or they may enter the military with the JAG requirements completed. A Jag will go through the same educational process of a civilian lawyer.
Municipal Law
Descriptio n: Municipal law can cover a wide range of issues, including everything from police power, zoning, education policies, and property taxes. The City Attorney is the legal adviser and attorney for all officials, officers, and departments of the City and represents the City in all litigation and proceedings, including the prosecution of cases before the Municipal Court. Work involves drafting and reviewing ordinances, resolutions, policies and procedures, and contracts prior to consideration by the City Council to ensure compliance with state, federal, and local laws.
Average Salary: $92,957
Career Outlook: 6% growth between 2018 and 2028
Personal Injury Law
Description : A personal injury lawyer provides legal services to those who claim to have been injured, physically or psychologically, as a result of the negligence of another person, company, government agency, or another entity.
Average Salary: $73,000
Career Outlook: 4% growth
Personal Injury Law Firms in Lexington: Golden Law Firm, Lockaby Law Group, Baldani Law Group
Real Estate Law
Description : Real estate lawyers prepare and review documents relating to purchase agreements, mortgage documents, title documents, and transfer documents. A real estate attorney may also provide legal representation for either a buyer or a seller when a dispute ends up in a court.
Average Salary: $102,766
Career Outlook: 4% growth between 2019 and 2029
How to become one: Must receive your J.D. and pass the bar exam. While in law school, take courses related to estate law.
Real Estate Law Firms in Lexington: Holbrook & Holbrook Law Office, Don B. White, PLLC, McBrayer PLLC
Securities Law
Description : Laws and regulations governing financial instruments such as stocks, mutual funds, and bonds. These rules are designed in part to prevent fraud, insider training, and market manipulation, while also promoting transparency through a complex system of reporting and enforcement.
Average Salary: $133,724
Career Outlook: 4% growth between 2019 and 2029
How to become one: Qualifications to pursue the career include a law degree from an accredited school and extensive experience in financial law. You must also pass the bar exam for your state to receive the proper licensure.
Securities Lawyers in Lexington: McBrayer PLLC
Sports Law
Description :Sports law focuses on legal issues pertaining to the sports industry. Common sports law issues include labor law, contract issues, unfair competition and antitrust law, and torts. Much of sports law is divided between amateur and professional sports.
Average Salary: $98,678
Career Outlook: 8% between 2016 and 2026
Tax Law
Description : Tax lawyers assist businesses, organizations, and individuals with legal issues regarding their taxes. This includes helping organizations limit their exposure to tax liabilities. Tax attorneys also handle issues for clients who may be in tax disputes with the IRS or other government entities that levy taxes.
Average Salary: $120,190
Career Outlook: 6% growth rate between 2018 and 2028
Tax Lawyers in Lexington: Hurt, Deckard & May, PLLC, Stoll Keenon Ogden PLLC
Professions within Law Fields
Civil Law
Civil Litigation Lawyer
Represents plaintiffs and defendants in civil lawsuits. Civil litigation lawyers manage all phases of litigation from the investigation, pleadings, and discovery through pre-trial, settlement, and appeal processes.
Average Salary: $129,401
Constitutional Law
Constitutional Lawyer
Deals with the interpretation, implementation, and amendment of the US Constitution and the federal law that govern the 50 states. Constitutional lawyers focus on what the Constitution says, what specific laws mean, and what limitations exist.
Average Salary: $88,139
Corporate Law
Contract Lawyer
Specializes in helping clients negotiate, draft, review, and manage contracts. Contract lawyers specialize in resolving disputes or arranging agreements between parties, whether those parties are individuals or businesses.
Average Salary: $82,804
Criminal Law
Criminal Defense Lawyer
Defends individuals who have been accused of committing a crime. Criminal defense lawyers conduct research, analyze cases, and present their findings in court in an effort to gain the defendant's freedom or negotiate a plea bargain or settlement.
Average Salary: $91,373
Criminal Prosecutor
Pursues criminal cases on behalf of local, state, or federal governments. Criminal prosecutors seek convictions in criminal proceedings and may be involved in questioning witnesses, reviewing evidence, arguing their case in court, or negotiating a plea with a suspect.
Average Salary: $73,323
Estate Law
Biodiversity and Endangered Species Lawyer
Works for organizations and non-profists that litigate biodiversity and endangered species cases. Challenges development that could have adverse impacts on habitats.
Clean Energy Land Use Advocacy Lawyer
Works for organizations and firms that lobby for strong policies for renewable energy, storage, and transmission.
Natural Resource Preservation and Climate Change Lawyer
Works for conservancy groups, land trusts, nonprofits, or law firms fighting to preserve old-growth forests or city’s urban tree canopy. This work implicates both natural resource preservation and climate change.
Water Quality and Environmental Justice Lawyer
Works in the areas of water quality and environmental justice, for local waterkeeper, the state’s Environmental Protection Agency, or a water resource control board.
Estate Law
Social Security Disability Lawyer
Reviews medical records and works with client to collect any missing medical tests. More importantly, this specialist will sort through voluminous pages and documents to determine which information is most important.
Average Salary: $118,209
Worker’s Compensation Lawyer
Help employees settle workers’ compensation cases if an insurance adjuster fails to resolve their case.
Average Salary: $60,686
Estate Law
Estate Planning Lawyer
Helps in the estate planning process by putting client's wishes for incapacity and death into writing. The estate planing attorney will know the correct documents to use and will present options to ensure client's goals are correctly carried out. Will have knowledge of state and federal laws that could affect how estate is inventoried, valued, dispersed, and taxed upon client's death and will properly educate client about the probate process should it arise.
Average salary: $125,970
Commercial Estate Lawyer
Protects the rights of people or entities in commercial incidences related to corporate ownership, commercial lease disputes, title insurance.
Average salary: $136,196
Residential Estate Lawyer
Oversees the legal aspects of real estate transactions. Real estate attorneys prepare and review legal documents relating to real estate, negotiate the terms and conditions of real estate transactions, and facilitate the transfer of titles.
Average salary: $115,820
Health Law
Adoption Lawyer
Provides representation to both birth parents and adoptive parents, and in some cases, adopted children. Adoption lawyers deal with litigation issues pertaining to parental consent, parental rights, and wrongful adoptions as well as those relating to sexual orientation, race and culture, and international adoption.
Average Salary: $76,478
Child Custody Lawyer
Works with a parental guardian to persuade the court that their client is the better fit to take care of a child.
Average Salary: $119,250
Divorce Lawyer
Specializes in civil law, must delicately yet justly handle a wide variety of family law issues from divorce, marriage annulment, and legal separation to child custody, child support, and visitation rights.
Average Salary: $84,152
Health Law
Medical Malpractice Lawyer
Represents clients who are suing medical practitioners for professional misconduct and malpractice.
Average Salary: $180,107
Public Health Lawyer
Advises government agencies, communities, groups, or individuals. Roles vary based on different areas of concentration.
Average Salary: $70,959
Administrative Lawyer
Governs the activities of administrative agencies of government and works to regulate the increasingly complex social, economic, and political spheres of human interaction.
Average Salary: $99,841
Intellectual Property Law
Copyright Lawyer
Protects a client’s original creation from unlawful and unauthorized usage. The field in which these lawyers practice is called intellectual property law and can include areas such as property law, internet law and trademark law in music, writing, or art, among other fields.
Average Salary: $133,000
Licensing Lawyer
Investigates the cause of a complaint, evaluates the processes that the licensing board will use to prosecute the claim, and presents a defense against these serious allegations. Assists with the drafting and reviewing of a license agreement.
Average Salary: $91,402
Patent Lawyer
Possesses expertise in intellectual property law pertaining to securing and protecting an inventor’s property rights. Must pass the United States Patent and Trademark Office patent agent restriction examination and have expertise in patent law.
Average salary: $260,316
Trademark Lawyer
This attorney is qualified to act in matters involving trademark law and practice and to provide legal advice on trademark and design matters. Might handle trademark infringement cases in court or help clients secure trademarks with in the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
Average Salary: $106,212
Trade Secret Lawyer
Helps clients navigate the landscape of trade secret enforcement and litigation. These attorneys also handle litigation relating to the misuse, misapplication, or theft of trade secrets with or without such agreements and restrictions in place.
Average Salary: $159,000
Pre-Law Advising on Campus
College of Arts and Science’s Pre-Law Contact Email ASPreLaw@uky.edu
Pre-Law Pre-Professional Advising at the Stuckert Career Center jocelyn.gaydos@uky.edu https://uky.joinhandshake.com/appointments/new
